The other principal pofts in and round Paris, fuch as the bridges, the Luxemburg, the hall of the council of five hundred, the military school, the invalids, St. Cloud, and Versailles, were alfo occupied by troops under the command of Marmont, Serrurier, Lannes, Macdonald, and other generals, the companions and friends of Buonaparte. Lefebre was his first lieutenant. While the general was engaged in close conversation with Sieyes and Ducos, on the important objects under their confideration, the tranflation of the legislature to St. Cloud, and the means of preferving tranquillity in the capital, he was joined by general Augereau, who, with every demonftration of cordiality, faid, "General, you did not fend for me, but I have come, unfought, to join you." Augereau, who was

one of the most zealous and ener getic among the jacobins, had, in 1797, rendered a fimilar fervice to his own party, in controlling the na tional reprefentation by an armed force, to what he now offered, for the overthrow of his colleagues and friends to Buonaparte.

Moulins, finding every thing defperate, did not wait to be arrested, but, jumping out of the window, made his escape across the garden of the Luxembourg. Gohier repaired to the Thuilleries, where, as prefident of the directory, he put the feal to the decree for the tranflation to St. Cloud. But he refused to refign the feal of ftate, and returned to the palace of the directory, where he was put under a guard Sieyes and Ducos, about the fame time with Barras, refigned their offices.

fought for an opportunity offtrengthening their own hands by fome new change, than of compofing the people, and faving the country, by the exercife of any powers or principles inherent in the actual constitution.

The abbé Sieyes had early fore feen, or apprehended the difcordant and fluctuating nature of the various forms of government that had been adopted fince the overthrow of the monarchy. He had attempted, in vain, the introduction of a conftitution, which, though, ftill retaining the name, and in fome degree the form of a republic, fhould be confolidated and ftayed by one chief magiftrate, and a conftitutional jury, or confervative fenate; and, in the various changes that took place, from time to time, he was a friend, as we have feen, to an increase of power in the hands of the executive government. The great enemies that abbé Sieyes, who had gained an afcendancy in the public councils, had to contend with, was, of course, the democratical party. To overthrow the principles and plans of this party, by an oppofite fyftem, in which his own project of a fingle chief, and a conftitutional jury, fhould be adopt ed, was the leading principle in his conduct, and the great object of his inceffant contrivance.

It has been faid, that he imparted his defign of establishing a ftronger government, by a freth revolution, to general Joubert, whom he with ed to affociate with himself in this project, and whofe unfullied character, blooming virtues and talents, and popularity rendered a very defirable affociate in fuch an enterprife. Joubert, unwilling to be

come the inftrument of political intrigue, accepted the command of the army of Italy. The abbé, it was generally fuppofed, was encouraged and fortified in his defigns, by the countenance and good withes of the court of Berlin, where he had refided a confiderable time, and which was equally jealous of democratical doctrines, and all connection with governments founded on fuch principles.

The parties which divided and agitated France, at this time, were reduced to two claffes: the one confifting of the jacobins or fierce republicans, who made but little account of either the property or lives of their countrymen, whenever they judged that a facrifice of thefe might be rendered fubfervient to the interefts of their own faction: the other comprehending all who had taken a fhare in the revolution, without participating in its principal enormities, and who arranged themselves around Sieyes and the council of elders, in the hope and expectation of fome approaching change.. Though this man had voted for the death of the king, and that in a very unfeeling and inhuman manner,* he affected great regard for the conftitutionalifts of 1791, who had formerly been the objects of his aver fion. He gained over the leading men in the council of five hundred, and established his intereft ftill more firmly in that of the elders. The extenfion of his plan, however, was ftill retarded, by various obftacles, when the eyes, the thoughts, and the hopes of all men were fuddenly turned on Buonaparte.

celebrated

web in the dark, and without dif turbance. He feemed to entertain a juft regard and reverence for what he deemed right and juft, and conducive to the public welfare: though he feemed alfo to be of opinion that few, if any, good laws were to be expected from any other head than his own. Nor, though filent and reclufe, did he want firmness to avow and defend his own fentiments, in the midft of popular clamour and paffion. He ftood up for the defence of property in oppofition to laws in favour of bankruptcy, and for the fuppreffion of tythes. A faying of his was long, and is now remembered to his credit. Speak ing of his colleagues in the national affembly, he faid, "They will to be free, and they know not what it is to be just." On the whole, the abbé Sieyes was not an amiable, but poffeffed a very general reputation of being both a wife and juft man; and that, if he was not without a tincture of vanity and ambition, it was not the common ambition of power and fplendour, but that of gaining over the French nation and the world to his political doctrines. His ambition, therefore, was of the fame nature with that of the heads of religious fectaries Buonaparte, to the advantage of military renown, added that of moderation, prudence, and a regard not only for civil rights, but also for religion. The fage counfels he gave to the Genoefe on leaving them to themselves, the letter which he wrote to the Pope in a tone of refpect and veneration, the whole of his conduct in Italy, not more intrepid than temperate and wife, were recollected with applaufe. There was nothing that the French people was not difpofed to expect at the

hands of the man who had con. quered Italy and Egypt, and made peace with Auftria, on terms fo advantageous and honourable to the republic, while, at the fame time, it was the more likely to be lafting, that it was neither fo difhonourable nor disadvantageous to that great power, as it might have been, if the pride of victory had not been tempered by political prudence. The wifdom of the treaty of Campe Formio was illuftrated by the loffes, difafters, and fufferings that refulted from its violation. The nation fighed for peace, and this bleffing was not fo likely to be procured by any one as by Buonaparte. As the nation confided in Buonaparte, fo neither was he diffident in himfelf; though it would be very unjuft, and is by no means intended to infinuate, that he carried a confidence in his own powers beyond the bounds of a juft felf-esteem. He had improved an understanding, naturally excellent, by a very clofe and fuccefsful application to literature and the fciences. By the former, his mind was humanized as well as enlarged, and his ruling paffion, the love of glory, confirmed and exalted: from the latter, his understanding derived additional vigour, precifion, and promptitude. He was defcended of an ancient family in Corfica, an inland protected by its poverty and mountamous aspect from the enervation incident to the cham paign and luxuriant regions, lying in the fame degrees of latitude; and by the fimple ftate of manners from that famenefs and monotony of genius, which is commonly produced by an imitation of eftablished authorities and modes of thinking, in the more advanced ftages of fociety. He was born, and received his first

impreffions, too, in times, when the fpirit of liberty in his native land excited every latent fpark of genius and adventure. Though the fuperior and irrefiftible power of France damped and crushed all hopes of maintaining the independence of Corfica, the tone and temper of mind to which the unequal ftruggle gave birth, the ardent spirit of exertion remained in the youthful bofom of Buonaparte, who, by a feries of incidental circumftances, was led into the famous école militaire of France, where he added the accomplishments to be acquired by the most refined, to the benefits derived from one of the fimpleft and moft virtuous nations in Europe. To perfonal courage, carried to the verge of temerity, and military art and ftratagem, he united blameless, and, with his inferiors in ftation, affable manners. Of a firm and undaunted spirit, and a genius penetrating, fublime, and inventive, he diftinguished difficulties from im poffibilities, difcerned the nature and difpofitions of men, and bodies of men, and not only improved, but, in fome degree, created conjunc. tures. He had taken a wide range over the ancient as well as modern world, and chofen the greatest and moft heroic models for his imitation. His letters, his fpeeches, his actions, all proclaimed a fublimity of courage, imagination, and defign, beyond the limits of vulgar concep

tion.

In fuch times, it was certainly to be expected, that the genius of the warlike fhould prevail over that of the metaphyfical politician. Not more than a week had elapfed, after the general's arrival in Paris, when it was clearly perceived that his fentiments were wholly in op

pofition to the jacobins, and on the fide of the moderate party. It was almoft as foon perceived that he confidered the deftinies of France as in his own hands, and that he would not brook either any fuperior or equal. He spoke in a tone of laconic decifion, which fufficiently indicated the opinion be entertained of his talents, power, and importance.

It was a fingular fpectacle to fee fo many generals, and thefe of the firft rate, in the midst of a war in Paris. Buonaparte was fupported by the prefence, countenance, and authority of Moreau, Berthier, Lefebre, Serrurier, Macdonald, Murat, Berryer, and feveral other general officers. In other circumstances, fuch a congrefs of generals, in the feat of the government and legiflature, would probably have occafioned fome murmurs of jealousy and diffatisfaction; but every paffion was hufhed, and every head bowed down before the man, who was not only the idol of France, but the admiration of the world.

The day fixed on by the directory and legislative councils for the feaft in honour of the two generals, Buonaparte and Moreau, was the feventh of November. There was nothing extraordinary, in fuch an entertainment; on the arrival of Buonaparte from Egypt, or what was not to have been expected.But neither is it unnatural to fuppofe that the politics of the day might in fome fhape and degree, infinuate themfelves into this defign after it was formed, although it would not be reasonable to afcribe its original formation to any other caufe than what is most natural and obvious. It served to folemnize the union and friendship between the

greatest